


Number Neighbor

by doyle5



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doyle5/pseuds/doyle5
Summary: All Kenma wants is for Kuroo to give him a little more time alone with his games, so when Kuroo asks him to make one new friend Kenma seizes his chance. He bets Kuroo he can't carry a month-long friendship with someone virtually. Little does Kenma know that Kuroo's feisty number neighbor is going to pull Kuroo on a twisted ride of salty flirting and the promise of a date if he figures out who she is. In this humorous tale, Kuroo's life is turned upside down as he learns what it takes to help a friend in need and cherish the love of his life.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou & Kuroo Tetsurou's Mother, Kuroo Tetsurou/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. A New Semester

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Little Sister Who Got Me Into Haikyuu!!!](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Little+Sister+Who+Got+Me+Into+Haikyuu%21%21%21).



_Kuroo_

_All Kenma wants is for Kuroo to give him a little more time alone with his games, so when Kuroo asks him to make one new friend Kenma seizes his chance. He bets Kuroo he can't carry a month-long friendship with someone virtually. Little does Kenma know that Kuroo's feisty number neighbor is going to pull Kuroo on a twisted ride of salty flirting and the promise of a date if he figures out who she is. In this humorous tale, Kuroo's life is turned upside down as he learns what it takes to help a friend in need and cherish the love of his life._

  
  


**Kuroo POV**

“Get Out!” His voice ripped through the air as he flung a book. The book hit the man towering over his mother. The sound of his sisters crying hit Kuroo’s eardrums making him cringe. “You’re not wanted here! We hate you!”

The man turned to Kuroo and stepped forward. Kuroo stood his ground. He was almost as tall as his father — not quite as muscular, but for a kid of 12, he wasn’t lacking in height. 

His father didn’t say a word to him. The back of his hand connected with Kuroo’s face. Stumbling until Kuroo landed on the ground, rage took hold of young Kuroo as he’d never known before. His hand reached out, grasping one of his father’s discarded liquor bottles as murderous hands wrenched at the back of his shirt, lifting the young boy bodily into the air.

Shattered glass sprayed through the air as the bottle connected with the man’s head. Gruesome satisfaction curled the corners of his mouth upward as he watched the blood flow from his father’s temple. _Serves the damn bastard right._

The man’s grasp loosened on Kuroo, causing him to fall back to the ground. A sharp pain ripped through his head, originating from below his ear, and the world went dark.

…

Beep………..Beep………..Beep………..Beep………..Beep………..Beep………..Beep

Young Kuroo opened his eyes. It was the blistering headache that brought him back to conscientiousness.

Looking over, Kuroo saw his mother passed out, slumped over his hospital bed.

“You're awake.”

Kuroo jerked at the unexpected voice. Kenma sat in a cozy armchair with Kuroo’s two sisters draped over him. The dark room was only lit by Kenma’s video game, now forgotten in his hand.

_Assassins Creed._

_Kenma only plays that when he’s very stressed._

“Your dad’s not coming back. The divorce went through this afternoon.”

It took time to process Kenma’s statement. He found himself staring at the ceiling, listening to the breathing of his mother and sisters, and the tap-tap-tap of Kenma’s game.

What now? He felt relieved. His father was gone. Even though things were starting to look up, there was so much going downhill.

His mother now had three children she had to support on her own. She’s always been a housewife. There had never been a time when she had entered the work-force. And here she was sitting in a hospital looking over a giant medical bill that he had caused. She must be overwhelmed. 

“Kenma,” Kuroo rasped. The Gamer didn’t look up from his PSP, but Kuroo knew he was listening. “Thanks. I know you don’t like it when my sisters use you as a jungle gym.”

“I don’t mind...right now.”

**Five Years Later.**

Kuroo’s shoes hit the ground soon after his spike landed its mark. A self-satisfied grin etched it’s way across his lips. _Perfect._ He was becoming more accurate. While he loved his role as a middle blocker, he wanted to become more proficient as a spiker, so he could provide his team with greater offensive power.

Glancing at Kenma, one of the shortest members of the team, the boy nodded and raised a single finger.

One more time.

“Okay. Pack up for the day! We’re done,” Nekomata called out.

The team scurried around picking up balls, taking down the net, and dry mopping the floor. Kuroo collected all the used towels and jerseys, stuffing them in the laundry hamper, grinning at Lev’s excessive exhaustion and Yaku’s nagging.

While the two often resembled a lazy student and strict teacher, he found it enduring that Lev and Yaku had become good friends in such a short span of time.

The locker room filled quickly. The boy stripped-down, shoving each other, and teasing one another about crushes and epic volleyball mistakes. 

“Did you not see her! She was a goddess. How did Karasuno get her when they barely get past the preliminaries every year,” Yamamoto complained.

“They asked her to be their manager and she accepted. Simple as that,” Yaku said. 

_Ah, ever the voice of reason._

“Yeah, I know that, but it still isn’t fair. Why don’t we have a manager,” Yamamoto said.

“We don’t need one,” Kuroo laughed. “The couches and I handle the paperwork and inventory just fine. You just want a cute girl standing on the sidelines, ready to hand you a towel and your water bottle.”

“You bet we do,” said a couple of the first and second years in unison.

“Ahhhhh,” Lev squealed, tripping over his own two feet. He grabbed the shower curtains on his way down, ripping them from the rods.

“What the hell!” 

Kuroo clasped his arms around his stomach, laughing impishly as his two teammates grabbed the nearest towels they could find.

…

Kuroo’s hand firmly grasped Kenma’s shoulder, stirring him through the crowded streets of Tokyo, while his rowdy teammates trailed after him.

“We should stop at that cafe again.”

“It was nice,” Kenma said quietly. Kuroo took a quick mental note at Kenma’s preference.

“Would you hurry up, Levy,” Yaku called over his shoulder at the silver-haired boy hovering around a shop window.

“Stop calling me that or I’m going to call you shortly,” Lev yelled, easily catching up to the group with his long legs.

“You're too loud,” Kenma chastised the first year.

Yaku swiped at Lev too quickly for the younger boy to jump out of the way.

A petite girl walked by and smiled at Yamomoto, striking him dumb and turning his face the color of a tomato.

Kuroo grinned at their antics. The start of school had been hectic, trying to figure out how to balance home, school, and club schedules. The guys were relaxing for the first time in weeks. While there were a few in the team that could keep their grades up consistently, others struggled and were often coached by the upperclassmen in more than just volleyball. Kuroo, himself, had spent a good portion of his free hours tutoring Inuoka, ensuring he would get good enough passing grades to attend club activities.

Kuroo bit into the savory pastry he bartered off a street vendor. He led the way through the bustling Tokyo streets to a small-out-of-the-way park. Kuroo parked himself on one of the swings as Yamamoto excitedly launched himself onto one end of the see-saw and begged Nobuyuki to join him.

“It's not my fault you're short!”

“Shorter people live longer,” Yaku said, grinding his teeth.

“Hahaha. Yeah, you tell yourself that.”

“He’s right,” Kuroo and Nobuyuki said in unison.

“What.” Flabbergasted, Lev pulled his phone out of his phone to google it. 

“If some of the guys are already struggling with academics, I don’t know how we’re going to get through midterms,” Yaku signed as he watched Lev scroll through his phone.

“I’m cold.” Kenma pulled his jacket firmly around him.

“You just want to go home,” Yaku laughed.

“You guys are exhausting. I don’t know how you guys walk around every day after school.”

“It’s healthy to be social,” Kuroo said. He stripped off his own jacket and threw it around Kenma’s shoulders. He had noticed Kenma’s nose was running. His friend had a couple of tissues stuffed in his pocket just in case. He felt a little guilty convincing the setter to come along instead of going straight home.

“It’s also healthy to take time for yourself.” Kenma threaded his arms through Kuroo’s jacket.

“You could do with a few more friends, Kenma.” This was Kuroo’s last year of high school. He was excited and ready to move onto university. He had a few concerns though. This would be the first time his family and Kenma would be without him for an extended time. His little sisters would have taken over many of the household duties he had taken on himself and Kenma...Kuroo didn’t want him to quit volleyball and exclude himself. Let's be honest; Kenma was happy in his little bubble. Unlike what most of the team thought, Kenma didn’t have social anxiety. In fact, out of the two of them, Kuroo was the anxious one. He was just good at hiding it.

“I have lots of friends.”

“I’m not sure online friends count.”

“They do.”

“Hmmmm.”

“They do!” Kenma lifted his chin to give Kuroo an annoyed glance before returning to his handheld console. “Fine. I’ll go out of my way to make a friend, but you have to do the same.”

“Kenma,” Kuroo said, his hand crossing over his heart as he pulled an expression of mock sincerity. “I’m friends with everyone.”

“You have to make a virtual friend.”

Kuroo’s expression dropped. “That’s it.”

“Maybe you’ll spend more time on your phone and less time trying to get me to be social.”

Kuroo chuckled. “Not likely.”

Making a sound of disgust, Kenma pulled Kuroo’s phone out of his jacket pocket and started downloading several apps: Discord, Tiktok, Instagram, etc. “You have to hold a weeklong conversation with them and have a weekly online activity with them for a month before you can call them a friend.”

“I know how to make friends. What are you doing?”

Kenma pulled up the messaging app and started typing in Kuroo’s own number, but instead of finishing out the number Kenma typed one digit lower than the last number in the sequence.

“Texting your number neighbor. I’ve made a couple of online friends by doing this.”

“You have,” Kuroo said startled. 

“Are we playing truth or dare,” Inuoka chirped. He excitedly slammed a plastic water bottle in the middle of the team. “Who's next?”

“I’m down.” Lev shoved his phone back into his pocket as Kenma tried to hide behind his PSP. Wordlessly, Kuroo passed Kenma the other pastry he bartered from the vendor, before taking the game and dropping it in Kenma’s backpack.

Kuroo took his phone back and looked at the message Kenma had sent.

**Hi. I’m your number neighbor!!! How’s life treating you?**

It wasn’t going to be that bad. He talked to people online before. It just never struck his interest because people online seemed so argumentative and flaky. This would be a piece of cake.

**Mizuki POV**

Sighing and ignoring the pain in her right temple, Mizuki unwound the hand wrappings from her hands. This week was a rough one. Her school’s midterms added to the stress of getting enough money to pay the bills. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to shoulder the burden, but she made it. Yeah, her grades weren’t great but she passed and she had managed to scrape enough money to keep up medical payments.

Tucking her hand wrappings and workout clothes in her bag, she made her way to the backroom. 

“ You did well today, Miki. We’re making bank on you!”

“Glad I could be of service. Now, where is my cut.”

“To the point as always,” Mr. Kusosaki grumbled. He slapped a thick stack of paper bills in her hand.

“Call me when you have another opening, Preferable on the weekends.” She quickly left the building and took the most abstract way through town. It was way past visiting hours, but the staff made an exception for her. She strode down the hallways quickly, exchanging greetings until she got the billing center.

“Hi, Yuki,” Mizuki gave the young intern a weak smile. The girl looked at her, a bright smile quickly turning to concern.

“Miki! Your head. You’re bleeding.”  
  


Her stomach sank to her feet. She was in a hurry to get here so she forgot to bandage herself up. Touching her temple, she laughed unsteadily. “Haha. I was walking down the street and someone opened a door just as I was walking bye. I guess they clipped me harder than I thought.”

“Do you want me to get someone to take care of that?”

“No. no,” she waved her arms out in front of herself. Urgently, fending off the help. “I’m just here to make a payment. I know it’s outside of hours but I was hoping you’d make an exception.”

“Miki, your schedule only allows you to make payments outside of office hours.” the young woman shook her head. We’re just glad you’re making the deadlines.” With a couple of clicks on the mouse and the keyboard, Yuki pulled up the correct file and took Miki’s money. “ Okay. you’re good to go.”

“Thank you, Yuki”, Miki clapped her hands in front of her face in a sign of apology and gratitude. “I have to go say hi to my brother. I’ll see you again next week.”

As Miki walked away, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Annoyed, Miki thrust her hand into her pocket and silenced the phone without taking it out of her pocket. There would only be one person in the nation that would call her at a time like this and Miki wasn’t in the mood to argue with or sort through the bull shit. 

Again, her phone buzzed. _A text? She was being persistent tonight._

Once arriving at the room, Miki settled down next to a young boy. The boy didn’t react to his older sister. He stared at the ceiling with no recognition that someone had entered the room.

“Was your day eventful?” Without waiting for a response, Miki launched into a detailed explanation of how her day went. Her brother, Kei, wouldn’t respond. He never did.

The impact of the car accident all those years ago left her younger brother incapable of moving or of doing anything. Her brother’s injuries had been the last burden her family could bear. Everyone went their separate ways. Mom finally went back to college in the US. Her father simply vanished and her older sister, tori, married her high school sweetheart, leaving Miki — a 13-year-old middle school student — to care for the youngest member of the family.

Miki swept Kei’s hair from his forehead. “It’s okay. I’ll be able to bring you home soon.” Again, her phone buzzed. 

Miki forced a sound of disgust out of her nose before ripping her phone from her pocket. “What, bitch.”

The phone’s light lit up the room. 

**Hey. I was in the area and thought we could hang out? -Tori**

_Busy._

**High School is such an exciting time! Make sure you’re enjoying yourself. Let me know when Kei gets out of the hospital. - Tori**

Miki couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the texts. Tori knew exactly where she and Kei were. She could visit at any time and yet she insisted that Miki and Kei always came to her. As if it wasn’t hard enough to take Kei to daycare every day when he wasn’t in the hospital, Tori wanted Miki to walk Kei onto public transportation to go to other towns for a few hours of “getting to know you”. It wasn’t fair to her or Kei. Even though Kei wasn’t capable of moving, he had slight control over his facial expressions and Kei didn’t like being hauled around everywhere. _If she wanted to see her brother, she could damn well come to see him if she wants to be a part of his life. It isn’t my responsibility to travel between family members to make sure they were in his life._

Gilt seeped into Miki’s heart. Was she being selfish with her time? She was barely making rough money to cover expenses. She simply couldn’t afford to travel. 

Again Miki raked her nails through Kei’s hair. _If they wanted to be a part of our lives, they would not have left._

Deleting her sister’s texts, Miki switched to a group chat where her classmates were talking about a group project; however, it was an unknown text that caught her attention.

**Hi. I’m your number neighbor!!! How’s life treating you? - Unknown**

Number neighbor? That stupid trend where you text someone with a number one-off from your cell phone number. Well. It was obviously a teenager. She couldn’t see an adult doing that — unless they were lonely or a predator…

_Lifes going smooth... Yours?_

**Damn... U actually got back to me:) - Unknown**

_You didn’t expect an answer??_

**Nope! Tell me about yourself. - Unknown**

_You first..._

**My name is Tetsuro Kuroo! I’m the captain of the volleyball team at Nekoma high:D - Unknown**

Still stroking her brother’s hair, Miki read over the text message. _So, we go to the same school… Probably best not to give too much away, but it’d be nice to have someone to talk to outside my usual friend group._

_I’m a second year.. Volleyball? Isn’t that the beach game? Or is that even considered a sport??_

**YoU diDnTTTT! (ง'̀-'́)ง Damn…. Only been talking with you for 15 minutes and you are already starting a fight. I’ll take you!!!! - Unknown**

Miki felt the corners of her mouth turn up into a smile.

_BET!_

**I’ll have you know volleyball is a VEARYYY noble sport! it takes a lot of technique and stamina to perform well. - Unknown**

_I’m not too into sports with balls. Too much testosterone._

**:0**

**That would be the american sport football. Volleyball is more civil than starting fights on the field. - Unknown**

_Too bad... thats my thing_

**You like fighting sports!?! - Unknown**

_Yee! Martial arts more specifically MMA:)_

**:000000**

**Do you practice anything specifically? - Unknown**

_Just a lill of kick boxing._

**You’re not very good about sharing information ><\- Unknown**

_Stanger danger..._

**I like how you told me your practice martial arts to warn me about messing with you.- Unknown**

_Ahhhhh you have seen into my true intentionsss :o_

**I am the best detective and provocation expert !!**

**I cAn SEe iNtO tHE fuTeR ohhhhh :D- Unknown**

_R u a bad boy?? I don’t think I know any good boys who would be proud of being an “Provocation expert”_

**I poke fun at people who can handle it.**

**sooo.. What school are you from? name? - Unknown**

_Hmmm stranger danger…._

**Oh come on give me somthing here! ><**

_Ok fine..let’s play a game;) I’m in your area...If you find out my name, I’ll give you a prize. 1 hour of my precious time :) You can ask me anything you want then_

_You have one month. Sound fun?_

**Where’d this come from - Unknown**

_Boredom... mostly:) I have a bit more time than usual._

Smiling cheekily to herself, Miki sent a quick ttyl and shut off her phone, cuddled up to her little brother, switched on the television, and prepared for a long night of sleeping in an upright position.

**Kuroo POV**

Jerking a comb through his problematic hair, Kuroo attempted to tame his bed head into a respectable style, but the gravity-defying hair stood in the same position as ever. _I should consider getting hair gel,_ he thought, twisting a strand between his thumb and pointer finger.

Practically swinging his way down the stairs, Kuroo ran into the kitchen. The house was pretty quiet. It was still early, much too early, but if he was to get to school on time for practice, he needed to get up at the crack of dawn. 

Kuroo walked behind his mother, fidgeting with the fish in the pan. “Good morning, mama.” He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before pulling the milk from the fridge. “You don’t have to make me breakfast. You should sleep and rest before work.”

“Hush,” his mother teased. “You make enough noise in the morning without talking. You’ll wake your sisters.” Kuroo chuckled, plucking the cooked fish from the pan and plopped it on the plate before his mother could tell him to sit at the table.

Kuroo’s mother slid into the seat next to him and tucked into her own breakfast. “I need to tell you something, Tetsurou. I was asked out by a coworker and I accepted.”

Kuroo stopped chewing. His eyes fixated on his mother. It had been obvious the last year that she had been lonely. He just didn’t think it wouldn’t have happened so soon. Before Kuroo could play it off, his excitement showed on his face in the form of a wide toothy smile.

“That’s great. He’s a good guy?”

“Everyone in the office relies on him.” His mother started smiling too. Relief etched on her face.

“When’s the date?”

“Tonight. I’m meeting him at a restaurant.”

“Not going to introduce him to me.”

“I- it’s only a first date.” His mother looked down abashed. As they talked, her face was steadily growing redder. Kuroo found himself leaning on his hand, smirking at his mother’s obvious infatuation with the man. A warm glow spread through his chest. He had been worried about leaving for college and leaving his mother to manage his sisters and the family schedule on her own. It would be nice if she had someone to rely on.

The wind rushed through his hair as he ran. The bag slung across his back bumped against him uncomfortably. Since his first year, he had gotten into the habit of being the first at the gym. It gave him time to prepare for the day, meditate, and practice his technique. 

Kenma glowered at the sidewalk. His hands shoved in his pocket to battle the nipping air— shoulder slouching. “Why do we get up this early,” he asked the moment Kuroo caught up to him.

Kuroo shrugged. “I never said you had to get up with me.” Without missing a beat Kenma flipped direction and started to walk back home. “Wait. wait! Come back! I need someone to set for me!”

“Any response from your number neighbor,” Kenma asked, pulling his PSP from his pocket.

“Yeah. They have a brazen personality.” Kuroo pulled his phone out and scrolled through the mystery number’s chat. “Every chance they got, they were dissing me.”

Kenma took Kuroo’s phone and scanned the text real fast. “You two didn’t waste any time flirting. What if it's a guy?”

“I’ll kick his ass.” Kenma shook his head before handing Kuroo his phone back.

“It sounds like a girl. Guys don’t typically put up a defense system when talking to someone new.”

“Know anyone who practices martial arts?”

“Leave me out of this.”

“I thought we were friends!”

“Friends, yes. Wingman, no.” Kuroo grumbled at Kenma’s stubbornness. That was fine he knew other students who would be all too willing to help them track down his mystery pen pal.

**Mizuki POV**

“Little one, it’s time to wake up or you’ll be late for school.” Mizuki cracked open an eyelid before forcing it closed again.

Her lower back ached from sleeping in an upright position all night long. “I’m up.”

The man hummed at her. She heard him bustling around the room. The curtains and the lights flicked on. The bright light felt like stabbing in her eyes and she slapped her face in the attempt to shield her eyes from the offending light. 

“You can’t sleep here.”

Sleepily she rubbed her eyes. “It’s the only time I get to spend with my brother this week.” She pulled the breakfast tray toward her and inspected its contents — a bag full of some brown liquid. Yum.

She shuddered at the thought of having that sludge pour into her stomach, but it was the only way Kei could consume nutrients on his own.

“It’s against policy, Mizuki.”

“Fine, it was an accident,” she sighed. She watched the nurse hook the bag up to her brother’s feeding tube. “ I don’t do it that often.”

“I know you don’t, but if my supervisor figures it out, I’ll get in trouble for allowing it. You have to file the proper paperwork.”

Mizuki didn’t say anything. She slipped off the bed, grabbed her bag, and fumbled her way into the bathroom.

Akio, the nurse, wasn't as harsh as he was normally. She stripped off the clothes from the previous day and grabbed a washcloth from the freshly stocked towels. Whipping herself down with a wet rag wasn’t the best way to get cleaned up in the morning, but right now she didn’t have a shower available to her.

Several towels later, she grabbed yet another one to clean her face and stopped at the reflection in the mirror. Blood had run down the side of her face during the night. She looked like a victim from a horror movie. Her right cheek was swelling and a large bruise had formed on her left clavicle. 

Thank the good lord she carried makeup with her and was actually good at using it.

Throwing on her school uniform, Mizuki got to work on her face. 20 minutes of hard work later and she looked just as she always did, like an overly ambitious 2nd year with an unhealthy obsession with her looks. It never ceases to amaze her how her looks change so drastically with her makeup.

Hopefully, there would be a time when she would no longer need to cover bruises and scrapes.

Her phone vibrated letting her know it was time to leave. She stuffed her dirty clothes in her bag, ran out of the bathroom, kissed her brother goodbye. She would need to put her legs into overdrive if she wanted to catch the bus.

…

**(◟ᅇ)◜\ - Unknown**

_What U doing up so early_

**Practice.**

**Give me a hint. - Unknown**

_2nd year black hair_

**Helpful.**

**Alright. Different Tactic.**

**If you tell me who you are, I’ll buy you a dessert - Unknown**

_STranGER DanGER!!!!_

**Here I thought the candy bargain would work - Unknown**

… doo U have pocky?

**Oya? - Unknown**

_Haha jk you arn't going to get me that easily!_

_Do you have anything better to do?_

**Do U? - Unknown**

_No_

_  
_ **...Does this look like a beach game? Pretty Kool - Unknown**

_Dem thighs Doe_

**_( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) I know_ **

_I think I’ve seen U around U hang out near class 2-A_

**!!!! Yeah. My friend is in 2-A I eat lunch with him!**

**Wait**

**YOU GO TO MY SCHOOL!**

_… maybee_

_Ya knoww Gamer Boy is the complete opposite from you.._

**You know him?**

_Do I?_

_I kinda gave it way didnt i..._

**Yeah lol kinda..**

**Close acquaintances then**

**I assume you’re in the martial arts club.**

_I appear from time to time, but no._

**A straight answer. Be still my beating heart.**

What??

**...it’s shakespeare you uncultured Swine!**

Ok...

**Do you participate in tournaments?**

_Wanna hear a joke?_

**Sure.**

_How do U keep an idiot in suspense?_

**Idk, how?**

**??**

**What’s the punchline?**

**It’s been half an hour?**

**…**

**Oh.**

Jk love ya lol😘[ ✌️ ](https://emojipedia.org/victory-hand/)

**Uhhhh my prefrontal cortex is not prepared for this..**

I had to google that

… nerd

Mizuki trailed through the school halls. Once again, she hadn’t done the homework, so she had been forced to stay after hours to make it up. She wasn’t scheduled to take any fights at the arena, but she didn’t have enough time to make it to the hospital before visiting hours ended. There was nothing to do but go home or to the Martial Arts club. She didn’t exactly feel like going to the makeshift dojo to run exercises. She was sore enough.

She heard the slamming of balls on the floor and her thoughts instantly turned to the volleyball captain. You’d think he’d lose interest. The game he had extended to him was childish — only to satisfy her boredom and relieve some stress, but he was constantly texting her throughout the day.

How he managed to text in class without being reprimanded…

So far she learned he was incredibly dedicated to volleyball. He had two sisters. One was in middle school and the other in elementary school. His best friend, Kenma, was also on the volleyball team. He made so many references to volleyball that now had a specific tab open on her phone to look things up.

He constantly made chemistry puns. So, despite being an athlete, he was a nerd and a smart one.

She walked to the gym, looking in to see the volleyball team in the middle of a three on three. She flicked open her phone, smirking as she did so and pressed the record button. The moment she got the footage she wanted she ended the video and switched over to her video editor. 

Cut it down to size. Purrrrfect.

**Kuroo POV**

“One touch,” Lev yelled as the ball spurred toward the back of the court. Kuroo made a step toward where he predicted the ball to be but stopped after he saw Yaku was in the perfect position. The ball bounced back into the air. Kenma ran forward slightly. His fingertips extended, so the ball wouldn’t hit the palm of his hands and pushed the ball back up into the air, setting directly to Yamamoto, Nekoma’s ace.

“OUT.”

The ball smacked the ground just on the other side of the white line.

“Dang it,” Yamamoto stomped the ground in frustration. “ It was completely open. I shouldn’t have missed that.”

“Yeah. That sucked,” Kenma said blandly.

Before Yamatomo could spin a retort back, Kuroo clapped Yamamoto on the back. “You’ll get it next time. Take a breather everyone. Remember to drink water.”

Kuroo followed Kenma to the bleachers, whipping his face with the bottom of his shirt as he went. 

The cool water poured down his throat. He was careful not to drink too much. He’d gotten sick off of drinking too much water during practice when he was a kid. He knew better now.

He almost rolled his eyes when he saw Kenma already had his PSP in his hand. Looking around, there were a few of his teammates on their phones. _I guess Kenma’s PSP isn’t any different from a phone._

Ding!

The right corner of Kuroo’s mouth twitched up into a smirk. He didn’t have to look at his phone to know who was texting him. They’d been texting constantly for the last couple of days. Kung-fu girl, as he dubbed her in his phone, had quite the amusing attitude. She was salty and flirtatious — an interesting combo.

He learned she had been practicing martial arts since she was seven, but, according to her, she was average at best. Even though she had been practicing for so long, she had never placed in a competition. She was, however, good enough to teach.

She has a younger brother, who she doted on. Getting any information on her family was like pulling teeth. He finally got the hint that family was a sensitive subject when she stated they might as well not exist.

Her mother was American, so she grew up speaking English, making it her best subject in school.

At this point, Kuroo was pretty sure if he spent an afternoon staking out the Martial arts club, he would find her pretty easy. Finding a half-Japanese teenager in a Japanese school wouldn’t be hard.

He dug his phone out of his bag. The screen lit up at his touch, revealing a text. She sent him a video.

_Hi._ A black cat with a black hair fringe over its left eye walked onto the screen. _My name is Tetsurou Kuroo and you’re watching NeKoma Daily._

Perplexed, Kuroo watched the cat turn around and draw a dick on the screen. The images immediately faded into a colleague of all the missed receives and spikes he had in the last few days. Kuroo nearly facepalmed at the footage of him falling to the ground to receive a ball. The video paused at the moment he got to his hands and knees and a tail, ears, and whiskers sprouted from the appropriate body parts. 

_MEEEEEOOW,_ the audio shrilled.

Kenma jerked around, giving him a startled look.

The video unfroze and switched to a clip of him doubled over in a half squat, arms clasped over his stomach. _EEEEIHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA_

Kuroo’s phone now had Kenma’s full attention. “Ppfff.” The setter’s hand slapped over his mouth. Half embarrassed, half impressed that she had managed to record club activities without being noticed, Kuroo let Kenma restart the video to watch it from the beginning. 

“So, it’s like that.”

“She’s artistic,” Kenma noted. “This cat is you. She would have had to have some design programs to do it.

He chuckled and whipped his phone back out of Kenma’s hands.

**Stalker.**

**What’s this about stranger Danger when you’re taking video and making animations of people without their permission?**

_Who texted who first!_

_I’m a fragile, defenseless girl._

_It’s only natural I look up the weird person suddenly texting me._

_Now if my body turns up in an alley, the police have a trail._

**Kung-fu masters aren’t defenseless.**

_Then Uve never met one in a street fight._

**Have you no pride in your own sport.**

_No._

_What do U think of my new kicks?_

An image of a pair of toned calves and shoes lighting up the cement underneath her feet.

**Sick**

**Aren’t those for elementary schoolers.**

_Isn’t volleyball a beach game for bums_

**Your insults are losing their bite. Try again at a later date...**

Kenma pulled on his arm, forcing the phone down so he could read the conversation. At this time, he realized there were a few of his teammates crowded behind him reading the texts over his shoulder. 

Well, now he couldn’t lose this war.

**Better to throw a ball than fists!**

_Ur just mad I’d top you._

“OHHHHHHhhhhhhh.”

Kuroo felt his ear begin to burn. His teammates were cackling behind him as Kenma hid another smile with his hand. Frustrated Kuroo swore quietly, “I just can’t pin this girl down.”

“Well yeah. Cause she’s the top,” Kenma chuckled. If his face wasn’t red a second ago, it definitely was now.

**How did you get all that video without me noticing?**

_*Stealth mode activated*_

**The CAmera Angle gives you away.**

_Not if im quick enough_

**Bet I’m quicker**

**_Well see..._ ** [ _👀_ ](https://emojipedia.org/eyes/)

“Damn, tough luck,” Yamomoto sniggered.

“Kenma really knows how to pick them,” Tamahiko said, trying to give Kuroo a look of sympathy. “What were the rules, you have to befriend her for, what, a month?”

Kenma let his hand fall from his face, openly smirking at his friend. “I’m not sure you can be our captain if you’re struggling to top a girl.”

“She’s had nine yeast of martial arts experience! She’s literally training in combat.”

“Excuses,” Yaku said with a straight face.

“Breaks over!” Kuroo growled and stomped back onto the court.


	2. She met him in the market

**Mizuki POV**

She had to admit. This Kuroo Tetsurou guy was a lot more fun to tease than she thought. It was a weekday, and once again, she had failed to do her homework and ended up leaving the school too late to visit the hospital, and she didn’t have a fight scheduled.

Mizuki wandered down an alleyway making her way toward downtown. She liked peering through the Antique shop windows and looking at the recent fashion trends. It was interesting how fast the fashion industry came up with new ways to get people to buy. Most of the products were ridiculous. The make-up was too flashy, and the clothes were too skimpy.

Comfort sweats with cute shirts are the way to go.

Kuroo was very much the same person in texts as he was in person. He had a mischievous, playful personality. Behind the constant teasing, he was kind. Sometimes, when she passed him in the hall, she saw him forcing food or water down Gamer Boy's throat or handing out his notes to his classmates.

She smiled as she felt her phone ding in her pocket. It had been two weeks since she started the “come find me” game, and he had been relentless. It was enduring and flattering to have someone so focused on learning whatever they could about her. It’d been so long since she felt so special. She loved every second of it, but she wondered, in the back of her head, what heartbreak she was setting herself up for.

Other than her friends from middle school or the dojo, not many people waited around. She was used to people chatting her up, hanging out a couple of times, and then going on with their lives.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mizuki saw a figure. An uneasy feeling crept over her. Cautiously, she stopped at a window in front of a busy street vendor and pretended to look at the merchandise through the store’s glass.

The man stopped, ducking into the crowd of buyers. Her unease didn’t lift as she started to walk again. A group of giggling middle school girls passed her as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She hated this. She glanced at some guys' reflective sunglasses as she walked. The man was still following; his gaze intensely focused on her back. He wasn’t very tall — probably 5’ 10” — and he didn’t have broad shoulders, but he looked sturdy. He kept his shoulders positioned over his feet and his hands were at his sides rather than in his pockets. He moved like a martial artist, which meant one thing — he was from the arena.

So, he was trying a scare tactic because he thought he would face her soon or had a grudge. Perfect. Exactly what she needed. She rounded the corner and broke into a run, zig-zagging her way through the crowd before slowing down at an ice cream parlor across the street. Mizuki glanced around. She was confident enough in her speed to know she at least threw her stalker for a loop. She watched him round the corner and looked around bewildered. Watching him was her mistake. He locked eyes with her.

Usually, when martial artists from the underground fight club decided to pull this crap, they would back off when they realized she had caught on to them. The man jaywalked across the busy road.

_Crap. He means business._

She turned on her heel and started walking at a brisk pace. If he wanted to stay close to her, he was going to have to work for it. She kept an eye on him by glancing at reflections off people’s sunglasses, windows, and car bumpers. He was getting closer, and she started to panic.

_Calm down. He won’t do anything as long as I keep to populated areas._

Frantically, she looked ahead to see which street crossing she should take next. It was then, a tall, black-haired teen caught her eye. While she wasn’t all familiar with the boy, she would know that peculiar bedhead anywhere. She pushed her legs into a quicker stride. Kuroo was smirking at a young girl, probably middle school age. She was pointing excitedly at a vendor’s display of hair ties before clapping her hands together to plead with him. Kuroo let out a laugh and shook his head.

If Mizuki knew two things, it was the best way to fight was to avoid the encounter altogether, and if she knew Kuroo like she thought she did, despite not knowing him for long, Kuroo would not leave a girl hanging if she asked him for help.

“There’s no way,” Kuroo was telling the disappointed girl the moment Mizuki collided with him. She wrapped her arms around his midriff, glopping him the way some overly-attached girlfriend would.

“Kuroo,” She said loudly in a sickly sweet voice. “There you are!” She giggled at his astonished face and the way the younger girl went red. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She gripped him a little tighter before diving into her explanation. “Look. I know you don’t know me. I’m from your school, and there’s this creepy guy following, so for the next little bit, you are my boyfriend because I don’t think this one is going to give up.”

As she talked, his and the girl’s face became grim. “OMG! It’s been so long!” the younger girl launched herself at Mizuki and pulled her into a tight hug. “We got you covered,” she whispered in her ear.

“We were going to check out the flea market. Feel up to it,” Kuroo smiled at her.

True to her role, Mizuki draped her arm through one of Kuroo’s. “What are we waiting for?” As they started toward a collection of tables and tents, she looked back over her shoulder. The man was still tailing her, but he let more distance accumulate between him and her party.

It was amazing what a 6 something foot tall, athletic teenager could do to someone’s confidence. It wasn’t fair.

The middle school girl took the lead, chattering non-stop about someone’s dance fund-raiser they needed to swing by.

Mizuki looked up at Kuroo, who had turned a pretty pink after she had taken his arm. “Who’s she?”

“My sister, Momo. She can be a handful. You don’t have to respond to everything she says. She can carry a conversation by herself.”

Mizuki grinned at the little girl. “She’s adorable.” She looked behind them and watched the man’s back retreat into the crowd. Coward. She dropped Kuroo’s arm. “He’s gone,” she said after the athlete gave her a questioning look. “I’m going to stick around for a bit just to make sure, but I’ll probably leave soon.”

“Who is this guy anyway?” Kuroo watched his sister run over to a small display where elementary schoolers were doing a simple k-pop dance — a bright smile on her face. Momo started to mimic the dance perfectly, adding in her own style. It made the elementary schoolers dance even more enthusiastically.

“Some guy I beat in the summer tournament probably.”

Kuroo glanced behind. His face was set. His normally lazy expressions was arranged coldly. His eyes were narrowed, and his lips pressed together. People who noticed the teen moved away to give him more space. She had to admit, if she came across Kuroo on the street in his current mood, she would cross to the other side of the street.

_No wonder the guy left in a hurry._

Before she could stop herself, she reached up and poked the older boy between the eyebrows. “Relax, he’s gone.”

“I heard you.” He raised an eyebrow at her and swatted her hand away.

“Why are you so casual about this.”

“I’m a woman… living in a highly populated city. This happens all the time.”

Concern swept across Kuroo’s features. She could see his mind kicking into overdrive. Kuroo quickly glanced toward his younger sister.

 _Well, isn’t that adorable._ Mizuki stifled a small laugh. So, Kuroo was a worrier and, apparently, a good big brother. Mizuki smiled, watching the young girl for 15 or so minutes before squeezing Kuroo’s arm and parting ways.

**Kuroo POV**

“Where’d she go,” Momo said, looking around as she pulled her younger sister, Aimi, toward Kuroo.

“The creepy guy left, so she decided to go home.”

Momo kicked the ground. “Dang it. Here I thought you’d finally get a girlfriend.”

“Hey now. What’s with people ragging on me lately.”

“Lately?” Aimi tugged on Kuroo’s jacket. A look of concern in her bright, big eyes. “You have bullies?”

“No, no,” Kuroo ruffled his sister’s hair. “My friends are just teasing me. Shall we get home? It’s only going to get colder.”

Both girls eagerly agreed, which made Kuroo sigh in relief. He had tons of homework to do, and only so much time to understand all the concepts.

Walking into the small apartment, Kuroo tossed his bag onto the couch and headed to the kitchen. He was short on time. Mama would be home soon, which meant he needed to get dinner on the table. The girls set to work, pulling out their homework at the table. It was a routine he had established nearly five years ago, and it still worked. It ensured the girls always had their school work done and that he was close by to help. He pulled the pork cutlets and eggs from the fridge and turned to the pantry to get the rest of the ingredients.

Since Mama had gone on that date, she had a brighter glow, and it made him happy. She got back from dinner and told him all about it. The restaurant hadn’t been fancy, but that seemed to be the point cause he brought along a puzzle that they managed to complete together as they talked. Since then, they had been on two other dates — one on the weekend and the other last night. Putting the second pork cutlet into the oiled pan, Kuroo glanced over at the sound of a door closing as he mixed an egg-soy sauce mixture he planned to throw over top of the culets after they were thoroughly cooked.

“Smells great,” Kuroo’s mother said, pulling off her high heels and tossing them to the corner. She shooed Kuroo aside, taking over the dinner preparations, so he could stand over his sisters to check their work. His eyes ran down the division problems while his mind turned to the young woman who clung to his arm only an hour ago. She was pretty. Her round face complemented her full lips and almond eyes. Her thin eyebrows were curved sharply, contrasting the rest of her soft appearance. Unlike most girls, she chose to part her hair down the middle with a single tuft of hair barely covering her forehead. Again, like the sharp contrast of her eyebrows, her hair ombred into light brown, cutting off just below her shoulders. Probably an attempt to cover an outgrown hair dye job.

She wasn’t exactly short; in fact, she was slightly above average height, coming up to his shoulder. Her shoulders were a bit broad for a girl, but that seemed to be because she kept herself fit. This was another aspect of her appearance that made him scratch his head. Girl’s typically wanted to look thin and, while she was thin per sei, she had lean muscle that only an accomplished athlete would bother building. He thought track and field at first, but the more he looked at her, he realized her calves and thighs were much too bulky for a long-distance runner.

The large E=MC Hammer shirt she wore also threw him for a loop.

Shaking his head, he marked a couple of problems wrong and set the paper down next to Momo.

Having a girl glomp him in public shocked him so much he didn’t have the time to react. At first, he thought she had made a mistake, but, like a switch, her happy face switched to one of panic as she explained her situation. His friends had similar situations where girls would dub them their boyfriend when they didn’t feel safe. It was the first time it had happened to him. The extent to which this girl had to go through to secure her own safety unsettled him. He didn’t like the idea of one of his sisters attaching themselves to some stranger to get rid of another.

Frowning, Kuroo sat down next to Momo.

“Okay, this is how you solve this problem.”

…

**Yo going to come watch me spike a ball?**

_No_

_Im going to choke out a guy 100 lbs bigger than me._

**Talk dirty to me.**

_Got any more thigh pics( ͡👁️ ͜ʖ ͡👁️)_

**I just feel used**

_Don’t send info U don’t want distributed_

**Wow. And here I thought kenma was the only one to lecture me about online etiquette.**

_Ur the only teenager thats not online savvy_

_Breaking rule left and right_

_First flirting with a minor next you’ll be saying uwu_

**I’m 17**

_You are. Well continue;)_

**Okay so this been bothering me. You are a girl right?**

**Kenma keeps teasing me saying you might be a boy.**

_Full homo. Do U want to hold hands?_

**You’re sodium funny**

_Funnier than your puns._

**Ouch.**

**You’re right chemistry jokes don’t have great reactions. People don’t understand the class.**

_Omg. Do U know any other puns_

**You want me to move onto pick up lines.**

_Im scared… but yes_

**You’re like an exothermic reaction. You spread hotness everywhere.**

_And UR full of hot air._

**Are you a carbon sample? Because I want to date you.**

**Tell me who you are?**

_2 weeks left_

**K.K. Lets seeeeee**

**Kung Fu Girl:**

**MMA-kickboxing**

**Loves sweets**

**Doting big sister**

**Teaches Martial Arts**

**Salty**

**Likes My Thighs**

**Stalking habits**

_Congratulations U know the basics of me_

**Give me another hint**

_Y don’t I tell U instead_

**Aren’t we snarky today.**

...

Students were starting to trickle into the halls from the winter air outside. He was still warm from his solo practice, so the cold air nipped at his skin unpleasantly every time someone opened the door.

His phone was in his hand. Kenma had left him on read. On top of that, the setter had ditched him this morning in favor of staying in bed, and now here he was waiting for the other boy in the school’s entry hall to start lecturing him about the honor and loyalty of their friendship.

As if on cue, Kenma pushed open the door and slowly moved to the taller boy. “Morning,” Kenma said slowly.

Kenma’s phone was turned to its side — a simple yellow character ran around on the screen, performing tasks when a black character suddenly walked by and violently murdered Kenma. “Chhhhh,” Kenma grumbled. “This guy has it out for me.”

“Game over,” Kuroo laughed.

“No, I can continue playing as a ghost.”

Kuroo hummed, trying to catch Kenma’s eyes, but it seemed Kenma avoided looking at him. Sighing, Kuroo decided to let it go. It wasn’t the first time Kenma ditched practice and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

“Have you considered streaming? You play enough, you might as well get paid for it.”

Kenma finally looked up at Kuroo. “Have people watch me while I play online games. That’s creepy.”

Innerwordly, Kuroo chuckled at Kenma’s blunt way of talking. It was always something he appreciated about Kenma. He never had to wonder what the younger boy’s opinion was because he was straightforward. When Kuroo was younger it both soothed and aggravated his anxiety, but now it was a certainty that he could cling to.

“Think about it. As a pro-gamer, you can do what you love while staying at home. It’s like running your business.” Kuroo closed three of his fingers, pointing his pointer finger up toward the ceiling. “You would be your own boss.”

Kenma started at him, critically thinking of Kuroo’s suggestion. “Probably not.”

Kenma and Kuroo walked down toward the second year hall. This was routine. He always walked Kenma to class in the morning. From Kenma’s class, two girls burst from the open door.

“It’s too late. Class will start in 45 minutes.”

“Plenty of time to give a demonstration.”

As Kuroo and Kenma drew closer, Kuroo recognized one of the girls.

“Hey,” Kuroo said, drawing the girls’ attention. “You’re the girl from downtown.”

The girl cringed when she saw who addressed her. Perplexed at her reaction, Kuroo frowned. “Yeah, thanks by the way. I wouldn’t have made it out of that situation without you.”

“So, you really go to Nekoma. Honestly, I thought that you were saying whatever would get me on your side.” Kuroo smiled at her. She was withdrawing into herself. He did have an intimidating appearance. Subconsciously, Kuroo softened his voice and kept his distance.

The girl smiled. A flush dusting a slight pink across her cheeks.

“What situation?” The girl’s friend spoke up — a little put off that she was out of the loop.

“Kuroo helped me get away from a stalker in the marketplace,” the girl helpfully filled her friend in.

“What!” the other girl’s hands floundered around E=MC Hammer girl. “Are you alright?”

The girl lifted her hand to her lips, giggling. “Yeah, He didn’t get close to me. It sounds like a bigger deal then it was.” The girl quickly turned to Kuroo. “Of course I go here. How else would I know you? You’re always making an appearance in the 2nd year's hall. People talk about you all the time.”

“Oh. That’s the Volleyball captain,” her friend whispered to herself. Her head dropped and she peeked at Kuroo through her lashes.

“I should introduce myself.” The E=MC Hammer girl swept her hair away from her face. “I’m Mizuki and this is Orihime Ito.”

“No last name,” Kuroo asked.

“She doesn’t like it,” Ito said before Mizuki could respond quickly. She began to shove Mizuki from behind. “It’s great talking to you, but we’re late to morning practice.”

“Track and field,” Kuroo guessed.

“I said I wasn’t going,” Mizuki complained, completely ignoring Kuroo’s comment. “I have enough to do.”

“We need our Captain,” Ito argued.

“I’m not the Captain. Chi is.”

“You’re right. Officially she is, but we all know the moment you step in the dojo, you run the show.”

Mizuki locked her legs to keep her friend from pushing her down the hall. “I have studying to do.”

Ito laughed before taking pressure off Mizuki’s back and letting the girl fall to the ground. “You don’t study.”

Mizuki glared up at her friend from the floor. Kuroo and Kenma looked on the scene with interest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kenma’s mouth flicker up in a smile when Mizuki hit the floor.

“Come on,” Ito clapped her hands together in an attempt to beg. “We have a tournament coming up. We want to place this year and you’re our best hope.”

“I’m not entering. I can’t. I have a part-time job.”

“You don’t have to enter. You just have to make sure the rest of us are ready.”

Mizuki folded her arms over her chest. “That’s just as much work, if not more.”

Ito continued her pleading posture, not making a sound.

“That’s not going to work,” Mizuki reinforced her decision. Ito made no movements. Mizuki glared at her friend from the floor. She didn’t make any attempts to maintain her dignity.

Kuroo smirked at the two girls. Mizuki was slowly losing her will power. He could see her determination slipping.

“Fine. But no one better waste my time.” Ito threw her hands up in the air in celebration, then snatched the back of her friend's shirt and proceeded to drag her down the hall across the floor. “I guess I’ll see you around,” Mizuki grumbled. Her arms were still folded across her chest with a grumpy expression on her face.

“See you,” Kuroo laughed. He turned to Kenma, who had opened a game on his phone. “That reminds you of anything."

“All the times you drag me to practice against my will.”

“Fun times.”

….

The ding of the bell marked the end of school. Kuroo stretched in his seat and began to pack his stuff. English was already giving him a headache. Anything involving math and science was easy because it interested him. History was interesting, but English was confusing.

He decided to take it because it was one of the most spoken languages in the world, but it was extremely complex and inconsistent, which made it difficult to learn. Speaking was easier than writing. There were so many rules, yet, in many cases, those rules were completely thrown out the window.

He stepped out of the classroom. Practice had been canceled, so he had a couple of hours of free time and he knew exactly how to spend them. These past two weeks he spent a lot of time getting to know Kung Fu Girl and he thought he knew enough about her personality and other characteristics to figure out who she was.

He strode down the hallways. It was time to check out the martial arts club. Then, if he had time, he would walk down to the graphic design club and see if she would be there.

Peeking in through a gym door, Kuroo watched nearly a dozen students sitting in a circle around two student instructors giving a martial arts demonstration. He slipped into the hastily pulled together dojo and focused on each student.

_Okay. She’s half american. This should be easy._

Kuroo looked at each student — even checking the boys— just in case. No one looked remotely foreign. Disappointed, Kuroo turned to leave.

“Hey, newcomer.” A girl half his size strode off the mat toward him. “You can call me Chi.” She smiled brightly as him. Even though she was so short, she was very mature. Her oval face was sharply defined. Her cheeks rose high on her face and her eyes were more narrow, giving her the appearance of a stern teacher. “Looking to join or just visiting.”

“Looking for someone.” Kuroo glanced over the girl’s head and watched the martial arts members pair up to practice.

“Well, I run the place, so who are you looking for?” “Uhhhhh.” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I actually don’t know. I met this person online and we found out we went to the same school and bet that i couldn’t figure out who they were within a month. I know they practice martial arts, so…”

The girl cocked her head at him. “You know, it’s dangerous to meet up with people you meet online.”

Kuroo shrugged. “I’m sure I can handle myself.”

“Mmmm-hmmm.” Chi turned around to survey the practice. “Maybe. Just need some lessons in common sense.”

“Woah,” Kuroo clutched at his chest in mock offense. “What is up with you salty martial arts people.”

A pair of students in the back pulled apart. Both were smiling brightly as one exclaimed that the exercise was easier than he thought.

“Salty, huh?”

“And has a sweet tooth. She likes kickboxing, but she does MMA too. She’s also half-American.”

Chi looked at him with wide eyes. Her startled expression slowly twisted up into a grin. “Really,” she slowly drawled.

Excited, Kuroo adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“Yeah. Do you know if any of your people fit that description?”

She obviously did. She was starting to giggle and hand hiding her smile from him. “No, I don’t.”

Frowning, Kuroo settled back on his heels, turning his body away from Chi. _Liar_.

"Just so you know,” the martial arts captain started, “it’s considered inappropriate for people who practice martial arts to give information on a peer.” She stood back from him and gestured around. “A lot of people come here for safety, because of something that happened or what they fear will happen. Privacy is protected here, so no one will answer your questions.” The girl grabbed his arm and led him to the door. She smiled brightly at him as she shoved him through the door. “I can’t have you invading anyone’s privacy. If you want to come by for a lesson, then you’re welcome back, but, if you’ve come just to play detective, then you’re not allowed back.”

Kuroo nodded. “I didn’t mean to cause offense.” He gave an apologetic bow. “From now on I’ll respect the culture of your dojo.”

“I’m sure you’ll find her.” Chi closed the door, leaving Kuroo with more time to fill than he thought.

 _Well_. He shook himself slightly embarrassed by his overstep. _Maybe going around from place to place isn’t the best way to track her down_. Ignoring his own thoughts, Kuroo turned to walk in the direction of the Graphic Design Club.

…

The trip to the graphic design club went a little smoother than the martial arts club. He found he knew someone in the graphic design club. It was one of Kenma’s friends, Chimon.

He attached himself to the younger boy and proceeded to bug him. By the time the club activities were over, Kuroo had a basic understanding of design rules and what software was best for different animation types. What he had learned was Kung Fu Girl was actually very adept at her craft. He showed the cat animation to Chimon, who was more than impressed and amused by the animation.

He said she probably used Adobe Character Animation software or Comic Life Software for Anime Creation, both of which, while beginner-friendly, could be tricky to use — especially to get the level of quality shown in Kung Fu Girl’s animation.

“You’ll have to introduce me to whoever made this animation. They’re quite skilled. If I can get some pointers off them, it’d be great.”

Kuroo grumbled as Chimon played the video for the dozenth time, chuckling softly when his volleyball mistakes came into frame. “I’ll do that.” He took his phone back and made his way out of the club room. He didn’t have the courage to ask if Chomin was familiar with the animation style. He didn’t want to come off as a creeper.

_Was an hour of some girl’s time really worth all the time he put into winning this bet?_

Overall, Kuroo knew it probably wasn’t, but internally he couldn’t help but be drawn to her confidence and salty teasing. Girls didn’t normally act like that around him. His physique and snarkish behavior often overwhelmed people until they got to know him. As a result, he didn’t have many close female friends as he would have liked.

He rounded the corner and saw a familiar figure standing next to the volleyball gym. She was setting up a mini phone stand on one of the benches. Her tongue sticking out between her lips in concentration.

“Hey, Mizuki.” She jumped, spinning around hastily. “What are you doing here?”

“Ahhhh.” the girl scrambled for an explanation. Kuroo watched her try to hide the tripod behind her back. “I...was… just going to record myself.”

Kuroo watched the flustered girl. “Are you a TikToker or something?”

“Pfffff,” Mizuki's attitude changed drastically. “I can’t hold a rhythm to save my life. My club just asked me to record a couple of moves to help them practice for the tournament. The Volleyball club canceled practice so I thought I’d use the space.”

“What club,” Kuroo asked as he watched her drag a mat in front of the camera.

“Martial Arts.”

Kuroo paused. Many thoughts started to swirl around his head. Kung Fu Girl didn’t attend the martial arts club much. She was an instructor too. This girl could be her… but. Kuroo watched the girl unfold the mat. She seems too shy and withdrawn to be Kung Fu Girl. Kuroo remembered how she clung to his arm at the market and how she seemed to pull herself away from him when he and Kenma approached her in the hallway. This isn’t her.

**Mizuki POV**

Mizuki thought she knew panic. The inflated excitement she felt from this boy pursuing her, asking about her, and trying to learn more about her under the pretenses of finding her made her feel something she wasn’t quite familiar with. All she knew for certain was she didn’t want it to end quite yet.

She was walking on thin ice. She needed something, an opportunity, to separate herself from her online presence without lying to him, because — if she wasn’t being herself around him both virtually and in real life — what would be the point of all this. She’d have to figure this out later. “Quick question.” Kuroo plopped himself on one of the benches. “If you’re in the martial arts club, why didn’t you take care of that guy in the marketplace yourself. I get that he was bigger than you, but you must have had the upper hand.”

Mizuki didn’t answer him at first. She started to stretch her legs out on the mat, leaning her upper body over to touch her toes. “He was a fellow martial artist and street fights are different from a fight on the mat.” She switched legs. “Besides, the best way to win a fight is by avoiding the fight altogether.”

“Makes sense.”

Mizuki finished her stretches and glanced toward the door. Chi was supposed to meet her, but it appeared the Martial Arts Captain had other plans. She couldn’t do these tutorials on her own. She needed a partner. She glanced at the volleyball captain. He didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. He was spaced out, staring at the corner of the mat with his thumb stretched out, touching his lower lip, pulling it down slightly. “Do you want to be my stand-in?”

Kuroo pulled himself out of his haze. “Sorry?”

“I need a partner to record the lesson. Someone was supposed to meet me but I think they bailed. Would you mind helping me?”

The teenager’s face dropped. His self-assured attitude seemed to vanish and was replaced with embarrassed caution. “I’m not much of a fighter.”

“It’s some basic self-defense moves, so how to get away from someone holding you from behind, getting someone to let go of your hair or wrist, or what to do if you’re on the ground and your oppressor is above you.”

Kuroo ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. It’s a little outside my comfort zone.”

Disappointed, but not entirely surprised, Mizuki sighed. She would wait a couple of minutes longer and if Chi didn’t show, she would pack up and head out. A silence fell upon the two. For all the conversations they had over the course of the last two weeks, Mizuki couldn’t figure out what to say to the boy. What if I let something slip and he figures out who I am?

“What exactly are these moves? Maybe I can help with a few.”

Mizuki grinned at him. “They’re simple.” Looks like he couldn’t stand the silence either. She stood up and offered a hand to help him off his seat. He took it and a few minutes later they both found themselves standing opposite each other with her phone recording. Stepping forward, Mizuki hooked her ankle at the back of Kuroo’s knee, collapsing his leg out from under him gently, helping him lower himself to the ground. She turned to her phone and started talking to it, telling the non-existent audience what situation would be appropriate to use the move, and then gestured to Kuroo to get up and started showing a couple of variations of the same move.

“This move is pretty versatile. You can use it standing or on the ground.” She looked at Kuroo, who quickly shook his head at the mention of the ground.

“We’ll skip over the ground demonstration because my victim is embarrassed,” she said grinning at her phone as Kuroo spluttered behind her. “Everyone give a round of applause to Kuroo — my unwilling participant.” She clapped mockingly and then quickly made some closing remarks before turning off the recording. “Thanks. You were a huge help.” She flicked her phone’s application store open and started downloading an auto sender — an app allowing someone to choose the time a message, photo, or video would be sent to a receiver.

Kuroo was red in embarrassment. His hand brushed through the back of his hair, pushing it forward. No wonder his hair was always a mess. The Volleyball Captain looked up to the ceiling, pretending to be nonchalant.

_Damn, he’s cute._

The app was downloaded. She opened it and sent a message to Kuroo’s phone, scheduling the message to arrive 5 minutes from now and then dropped her phone into her bag. A plan started to form. She couldn’t let this moment pass her by. Teasing him over text wasn’t going to be enough if she could see his blushing and astonished reactions in real life.

“If you keep blushing like that, I’ll have to submit a new shade of red to the fashion industry.”

Kuroo’s arms folded in front of his chest. His eyes narrowed, pinning her down with an intensity she didn’t know he was capable of. “I’m not blushing.”

“You’re right. You’re imitating your team’s jersey.” Kuroo opened his mouth to rebuttal when she placed fingertips on either side of her temples in mock concentration. “See the ball. Be the ball.”

Kuroo chuckled. His face was regaining its natural color. She had stirred him back into a territory he was used to and he was regaining his footing quickly. “Ball is life.”

“Do you think you guys are going to make it to nationals again this year?” Kuroo leaned down and folded the mat before picking the entire thing up and tucking it under one arm.

“There’s no question. We’ll make it. The goal is to place within the first five in the nation.” Mizuki frowned, trailing behind him as he turned to put the mat back.

“That’s a lofty goal.”

“That’s what my seniors said when 1st year me said that I was planning on taking the team to nationals.” He threw the mat on the stack in the storage room. “And here we are.” He faced her raising his arms to showcase the volleyball gym. “A powerhouse team. To get anywhere you have to dream big — accept the failure but keep fighting for success.”

Mizuki remembered back when she competed in Martial arts for fun. She had felt very much the same way. Failure was simply a lesson. As long as you’re willing to adjust your technique, you could become stronger and overcome the opponent in front of you. “Wow.” Mizuki waited until she had Kuroo’s full attention. “You’re a dork.”

Ding! 

“There’s nothing wrong with being passionate,” Kuroo quipped at her. He looked down at his phone and she watched his demeanor twisted into appalled silence. His mouth opened in astonishment as another text, a series of texts, appeared on his screen. It took all Mizuki had to keep her face straight.

“What?”

She moved to his side to view his phone’s screen and her handy work. Only when she saw the pictures of Nekoma’s volleyball team over the course of several years did she let herself smile.

_I noticed the team shorts keep getting shorter each semester. Now they like mid-thigh. What’s going on?_

The photos she had taken clearly documented how the volleyball uniform went from knee-length to mid-thigh. The last bit of evidence was Kuroo’s own photo. His hands on both hips, twisting around to somewhat face the camera as his team provided the background. His shorts allowed a nice view of his lower thighs.

Mizuki chuckled. “Nice ass.”


End file.
